An Unexpected Thing Called Love
by RosesAreForever23
Summary: Hermione is very successful since the end of the war; she has a job and is going to school to become a teacher. When circumstances bring her to an unexpected visitor, what is she to do? People need to guess who the second character is AU and slightly OOC.


**A/N: Hello and welcome all! This story is for the one and only WhisperGypsy, an absolutely fabulous writer and an even greater person. Thank you Gypsy, for helping me with my problems and teaching me the wonders of life as I know it now. Without you, I would not see the world as I do now! Happy birthday, and I hope you have many more to come~**

**Shout out to Roberly! Thank you, Roberly, for letting me know that the formatting was off~! I'll make it a habit to check over my work once more before uploading it!**

**Disclaimer: While the plot is mine, neither the characters nor the general back story is mine. All those rights go to our wonderful role-model, J.K. Rowling.**

**Warnings: This story is AU and has slightly OOC characters. Readers' discretion is advised.**

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Cold and distant: those were the first two words she would have used to describe him had anyone asked her two years ago. Sure, after the war, he was great when she was with others. If she were by herself, however, that man could be as tight as a drum and colder than a snow drift. As she walked along the pathway towards her front door, a bag of groceries in both hands and her purse hanging on her left shoulder, she thought back to before the day she actually talked to him.

The day came flooding into her memory like a child lovingly running towards their mother and into her waiting arms. If she thought hard enough she could almost feel the harsh winds beating her, slapping her with both the bitter cold and the sharp snowflakes. It had been one of the harshest snowstorms in the century and anyone dumb enough to actually venture out would be plunged into a chaotic wintery world.

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Depending on the person viewing the situation, she was either the most unfortunate or quite fortunate she had travelled outside that fateful day, trying to return home after one of the roughest days of work she had ever had. She was beginning to question her sanity at having decided to move to Muggle London on her own soon after graduation. She was very proud of her boys, don't ever think she wasn't, but having sent them on their way, she had realized that they no longer need nor wanted her helping them out. As they stepped into the roles of being the two youngest Aurors in the world, she went on with her dream of teaching at Hogwarts.

Change of mind, change of pace, she once heard an older woman tell her daughter at a coffee shop she frequented. She had never really given the older woman's words any thought until now. So, as she went trudging home not two blocks away from her work – four blocks from her college- a bag of books making her back sing in discomfort, she ran into an unexpected sight.

Standing there, not a few feet from her, was the man everyone now loved but no one still really knew. Black jeans hugged his hips, showing off his muscular thighs and making him seem taller than he was. Though he had a leather jacket on, she could see the green turtleneck of what looked like soft cotton peaking from the top of the jacket. He wore boots on his feet, which should have been expected even if she was still surprised by the idea. She also noticed that he had an overnight bag hanging around his neck like a messenger bag.

When she glanced at his face, the first thing that seemed to zip in through her mind was the overwhelming urge to brush back the longer-than-usual black locks of hair from his eyes. As she gazed at him, leaning against a wall in her path, she noted him bringing a cigarette to his lips and slowly taking in a drag of smoke.

Just as she reached him, her neck craned back to look him in the eye despite the six inch height advantage he had over her, she murmured, "You know, those could kill you someday."

He chuckled darkly, "Like I've not had enough of my life filled up with people trying to kill me already."

She sniffed slightly from both the cold and her disgust. "Exactly; why add yourself to the list?" Hitching up her bag of books, she took a step to the right while saying clearly, "Excuse me."

"Not so fast," he said, dropping his cigarette to be stamped out with his foot as he pushed himself off the wall and reached for her left shoulder.

She sighed in annoyance, the cold and her lack of energy making her temper shorter than usual. "What is it that you want, then?"

He had the nerve to look embarrassed, his hand running up into his hair to end up massaging the base of his neck. "Well, it's really quite a long story…" he said sheepishly.

"I neither have the time nor the patience for a long story- either tell me now or leave me be and let me go home."

He seemed to build up a wall between them in front of her eyes right before he explained, "Albus isn't allowing me to stay at Hogwarts just now. He gave me some lame ass excuse about a sewer line busting up in my rooms or some such bull and forbade me from entering there."

She didn't say anything, but her look was enough; so?

"So…" He continued, drawing out the 'so' like he was delaying himself from saying anything more, "I need a place to stay for a few days."

"And you didn't try asking Harry… Why?" She asked him like he was a two year old. In a way, she wasn't completely wrong; anyone close to Harry should have asked him before they came asking her. It was some unspoken rule, or something, she really didn't want to think about the why's just now…

His voice brought her back, "You think I don't know that? Trust me, I did ask him," he seemed to growl out, "He told me that he had no room for me at the moment."

"Well, then what about Ron?" She asked, tiredly running her own hand through her curls.

It was his turn to give her a look that suggested she was no smarter than a first year. Well, the usual first year.

She winced at her own words, "Yeah, never mind I said that."

He continued to stand in front of her path as she thought about her choices. She was happy to notice vaguely that he was blocking most of the wind from hitting her, almost like he was protecting her. It was with that tiny thought that she decided he might as well stay for a bit.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" She said, a sigh escaping her as she readjusted her strap once more. She was too tired to notice his slight smile at being allowed to a warm place to stay but then frowned when he took in her obviously heavy bag.

"Would you like me to carry your bag?" He asked, his hand outstretched towards her in offer.

She didn't want to make anything more awkward for either of them, so she said, "No, I'm fine. We're almost to my house anyways."

His frown deepened and his lips tightened slightly in displeasure but he didn't comment. He instead let her stalk around him, leading him to her place.

Ten minutes later, she was digging into her pocket for her keys, his body blocking the worst of the biting cold and bitter wind as she let them in. She was grateful for his protection once more; shifting ever so slightly closer to his body, drawn to the heat he seemed to have radiating from him.

He saw the way her body move closer to his own, the goosebumps that prickled her flesh around her neck, and he carefully took a step closer to her. The door opened with a squeak and she hurried in, holding the door open for him to quickly follow before shutting the door as quickly as she could without actually slamming it shut. She took two steps to the left, flicking on the lights as she shrugged out of her coat.

As she opened the closet door next to the light switch, he glanced around in curiosity. He was surprised by how she had decorated her home; he had assumed she was more of a soft-toned person, but he instead saw a wall covered in a bold red. He had to admit that he was pleased with this turn of events. The bright wall worked nicely with the three other neutral colored walls, drawing the onlooker in and forcing them to see it more so than the others. It was a statement that said, "Look at me!"

"Would you like something to drink while I start dinner?" She asked him as she handed him a hanger for his jacked. He zipped it open and shrugged it off, zipping it back up once it was placed on the hanger.

"If it isn't too much trouble. What do you have?"

She thought of all she could give him before answering, "I have tea, soda, wine, and beer."

He smiled at her, shocking her to the core with its suddenness. "I'll have a beer, thanks."

She nodded, a bit dumbly, and walked into the kitchen through the door on the right while he followed her.

"What're we having?" He questioned as he slipped into the bar stool at the end of the bar looking into the kitchen.

"I wanted to make one of my own recipes. Harry and Ron call it my Meat N' Mac." She blushed slightly as she handed him a beer bottle.

He cocked an eyebrow in question as he opened the bottle and took a gulp of the amber liquid.

"It was something quick and relatively simple to make while I was busy, with the added plus of it being not all that expensive." She said.

He took another gulp of his beer, wanting to see if she would squirm if he didn't say anything; he wasn't disappointed.

"Just… Just watch me make it; I don't feel like explaining how to make it." She mumbled, lifting her left hand to run on her right arm and shifting pressure from one foot to the other.

He nodded slightly, a smirk hidden from her as he saw her wash her hands and take out a pot, filling it with water, placing it onto the stove, and turning on the gas. As the water heated up, she found a large skillet and placed it on the opposite gas burner. Turning to the fridge, he lifted himself up slightly to see her bend down to get a package of ground beef. He righted himself quickly when she twisted around, opening the package and dumping the entire amount of ground beef into the skillet and turned the burner on as well.

"Need help?" He offered, curious as to whether or not she would actually let him help her.

"Would you like to help?" She asked curiously, "Well, then how about you cut up the vegetables. I need a green, red, and yellow bell pepper and a large onion."

He took one more swig of beer before placing it on a cup cozy and getting to his feet. As he washed his hands, she found the cutting board and a large knife for cutting vegetables. He took them from her and placed them on the counter in front of the bar. Getting the vegetables in question, he began cutting them up quickly, making sure they were roughly the same size. He even snuck in a few nibbles of each of the bell peppers for fun.

Meanwhile, she had taken out another skillet and, after turning off the burner the meat was under and tilting the pan to drain off any of the extra fat, poured the macaroni noodles into the now boiling water and placed the new skillet onto the burner once in use.

After he had finished, he began washing his hands once again and slid all the vegetables into the skillet with a knob of butter. "What setting?" He asked her, his hand on the dial.

"Umm, start with a higher setting, please. We need them sautéed well enough before mixing them in with the noodles and the meat."

He nodded and did as she said.

She handed him a wooden spoon as she brushed past him with a colander in hand; out of the corner of his eye, he saw her make sure it was steady in the sink before turning and opening a drawer to bring out some oven mitts. He slid a little to the right, stirring the vegetables, as she came up next to him and turned off the heat under the pot of boiling water and softened noodles. Picking up the pot, she carefully carried it over to the sink and poured out the hot water and noodles into the colander.

Placing the pot in the other side of the sink, she gave the colander an extra shake and slipped the noodles back into the pot before carrying it back to the stove. Once settled, she quickly got out a smaller knob of butter and stirred it into the noodles, along with some spices.

"The vegetables are almost done. Do you want me to gather up the left over grease in the skillet?"

"Sure, then could you put the meat into the pot with the noodles?" She asked, a touch out of breath after running around the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'll do that." He was secretly intrigued about her, especially with her being out of breath like she was. He wondered what else caused this reaction, then instantly shut down that train of thought. The last thing he wanted was her to know that he was interested in her. He had kept it to himself all this time and he only he knew about his infatuation with the Gryffindor Queen. He had to keep it that way.

He didn't realize she had brought out a baking dish until she had begun to reach up, stretching as high as she could for the cooking spray, not noticing that her shirt hitched itself higher along her midriff. He, however, did notice and quickly reached up for the cooking spray himself.

"Thanks," she whispered, embarrassed that he had to help her reach.

"No problem," he replied, glad that he didn't have to worry about the innocently shown flesh along her stomach any longer.

Taking the cap off, she began quickly spraying the dish, making sure that the bottom and sides were completely covered with a fine sheet of oil. "The vegetables done?" She questioned, glancing around his right elbow at the vegetables.

"Just about. What do I do once they are finished?"

"I'll need you to add them to the noodles as well. Could you also turn on the oven to 350 degrees please?" He did so and then she said, "Thanks; I can handle the rest myself and you can go back to your beer." She gave him a quick smile before turning back to the fridge, opening the door, and taking out a package of cheddar cheese and a package of pepper jack cheese.

"These okay with you?" She asked, holding them up for him to see. He just nodded, checked the vegetables once more, and then added them to the noodles after shutting off the gas. Making sure he didn't miss any around the pot, he then took the two dirtied skillets and set them in the sink, turning on the water until it was warm enough and soaking the two skillets in the water with a bit of dish soap.

"Thank you for the help," she called as she started shredding the two cheeses. He noticed she stopped shredding once the pile equaled roughly a cup. Taking the two piles, she added them quickly to the noodle mix and stirred it all together with quick, efficient sweeps with the wooden spoon used for the vegetables. Once all the ingredients were stirred together well enough, she took the pot and dumped the whole lot of it into the baking dish.

As he sat back down and reached for his beer, she opened the oven door and slid the baking dish on to the top rack then shut the oven door with a slight bang. She nodded a quick nod, almost like she was congratulating herself on a job well done, before she set the timer and grabbed the pot, heading over to the sink.

"So, besides Albus kicking you out for some B.S. reason, what else have you been up to?" She asked conversationally as she turned on the water and reached for the sponge and dish soap.

"Oh, you know; the usual…" He avoided slightly.

"Like…?" She asked, rolling her soapy hand as if drawing out more information from him.

"What have you been up to?" He asked instead.

She snorted at his evasiveness but decided to humor him. "I've been going to school, if you must know." She explained with a look in her eye telling him that he wasn't going to run away from her questions forever and that soon she would know what he had been doing.

"Oh, surprise, surprise," he drawled out slightly, making her huff in irritation. "Why are you still going to school?"

"I want to be a teacher. Albus said I had to go to Muggle School first, though. Something about me widening my horizon or some such nonsense. Really, if I had wanted to teach at a Muggle school, it would be fine. But I don't want to teach at a Muggle school though; I want to teach at Hogwarts." She huffed again, bringing a smile to his lips, though he quickly hid it with another draw of his beer.

"Why do you think he is forcing you to go to a Muggle school then?" He asked her.

"I think it is because he wants me to take over as Muggle Studies Professor," she growled out.

"And do you want to be the Muggle Studies Professor?" He asked her carefully. She gave him a look that clearly said otherwise. "What do you want to be then?"

"I wanted to be the Transfiguration Professor since Professor McGonagall is going to retire soon." She said with enthusiasm. "I mean, there is no greater feeling for me than finding I can correctly figure out how to work out one of the hardest magic in the Wizarding World." She sighed wistfully before going back to washing the used pot and skillets.

He watched her for a few moments longer before clearing his throat to gain her attention. "If you want," he began, "I can talk to Albus about your wishes when I get back to Hogwarts." Her smile lit up her face, nearly blinding him with its brilliance.

Eyes shining happily, she asked, "Oh, would you please?"

He agreed a bit numbly, still stunned by the brilliance that was her smile. He was saved from having to actually say anything when the timer went off, alerting her that the food was almost done. She quickly shut off the water after washing her hands once more, then went to the pantry and brought out a box of corn flakes.

She saw his confused look and said, "My secret weapon." She giggled slightly as his face became even more confused and just waved it away. "You'll see; trust me." Taking out the cheddar cheese again, she shredded another cup of it and scooped it into a bowl with some corn flakes. Mixing it together, she gathered it and an oven mitt on her left hand, then opened the oven and pulled out the rack with the pan on it. Shaking off the mitt, she sprinkled on the corn flake/cheese mix over the top and slid the rack back in after replacing the mitt onto her hand. Setting the timer for another five minutes, she put the cheese away and brought out a beer of her own, as well as another for him. Still seeing a wary look on his face, she said, "Trust me, it's good." She smirked at him, humor dancing in her eyes as she opened the bottle and swallowed a bit.

"So…" He began. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "Besides going to school, what else have you been doing?" He finally asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me a bit about what you've been up to?" She questioned him instead of answering.

"I will after you tell me more about what you've been doing, how about that?" He concurred.

"That's fine with me, as long as you don't try to weasel your way out of it." She joked before continuing, "Well, I've been reading a lot. I have to build up a personal library as a goal for myself, since I'm out of Hogwarts for the time being. So far, I've gotten pretty far. You can check it out tomorrow, if you'd like." He nodded and she continued, "Umm, I've been helping Harry and Ron get their own places and decorate them. You have no idea how horrid they are at furnishing their places, let me tell you…" She mock shuddered at the thought.

"Oh, how so?" He asked, curious as to how bad they actually were.

"Well, Ron is worse. He wanted red carpeting on all his floors, kitchen included, and then a lime green color painted onto his walls, since that is his favorite color. Then he wanted to put a yellow chair in the living room with a purple and blue striped couch."

He really did shudder at the image. "You can't be serious…"

"Oh, it was worse! Harry was a bit better, he wanted the red carpet as well, but he at least realized the dangers of having it in the kitchen. He also decided for a neutral tone on his walls, though it still didn't go well with the carpet."

"Well, thank all that is that you stopped them real quick, then." He said.

"Yeah, it was bad. I got them around though. They still have their red carpet in their bedrooms, though it matches with the rest of their furniture there. I also made the living rooms have red and gold touches added to the entirety of it, making it seem kind of like a mature version of the commons room at Hogwarts."

He nodded, agreeing with her choices. "And the kitchens?"

"Exactly the same as this one here. I figured if I was going to be cooking for them once in a while, I would want to be comfortable in there."

"You cook for them too?" He asked shocked at how they were treating her. It was like she was a house elf!

"No, no. I just like to cook. It is a hobby of mine. So, whenever I'm over at their house, they let me wind down by cooking and they get a meal out of it. It's really a win-win, if you ask me. If I couldn't cook, I would most likely explode from all the stress I'm always under." She explained to him.

"Ahh, I see." He said simply. The timer went off again, saving him yet another time from the conversation.

"You still haven't talked about yourself, you know?" She said while she plated the meal onto two plates. Taking them over to the bar she set his plate in front of him and her plate next to him then walked around and sat down on his right.

"Well, since you are so curious as to what I've been doing, I'll tell you," he drawled. "I've been writing a book."

"Really?" She asked right before she brought her fork to her mouth with some food on it.

He nodded as he did the same. "Oh, wow. This is great." He said shocked by how true those words were. He didn't think that it would be all that since the meal had rather plain ingredients, but he was glad he was wrong.

"I know," she said in a mockingly cocky voice. "So, what type of book are you writing?"

"Ahh that is a secret, even for you." He said, taking another bite of his food.

"Why is that?" She nearly whined.

"Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. And this meal is making that idea very hard to even think of." He joked towards her.

She scoffed but said, "I'll eventually find out, trust me."

He had no doubt about that, though he didn't say so. Instead, they enjoyed the rest of the meal in peace and quiet. Neither minded much, since both were enjoying the company more than the conversation anyways. By the time they had finished their meals, it was nearing ten-thirty and both were becoming drowsy. Standing up, they both walked to the sink and set their plates into it, neither one wanting to wash thing up at that moment.

"I'll show you to your room, if you'd like." She offered him. He nodded and then followed her as she led the way towards the rooms in question. Opening the door, she stood back and allowed him through. It was simple enough- there was a queen sized bed stationed at the far side of the room, surrounded by two bed side tables on either side of the head of the bed and underneath it was a giant rug. There was a closet closer to the door, and a dresser near the window on the far side of the room.

Turning back to her, he thanked her and said goodnight after she pointed out where the bathroom was. Closing the door behind her, she left him in peace. Taking a deep breath, he headed over to the window and shut the curtains, making sure there were no openings for the sun to come in and rudely awaken him the next morning. Then he stripped and pulled down the blankets. Just before he got comfortable, he turned off the lights, then slipped further into the bed and waited for sleep to pull him under.

She was also getting ready for bed; washing and drying her face, drawing a brush through her curls to get rid of the worst of the snarls, and slipping into a set of her favorite pajamas, she made sure that the alarm was set and slowly sank into the welcoming comfort of a good night's sleep.

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Soon they were following a routine of sorts: they would wake up, take turns being the first to take a shower, and eat a small breakfast of toast and eggs with a cup of steaming hot coffee. She found he liked his coffee black, which she couldn't understand how he liked it since she like cream and sugar in her own. He too couldn't understand why she would put in those confections and ruin the wonderful tastes the coffee itself had to both agreed on having cheddar cheese with their two eggs, however, and toast was served with a choice of butter and jam. Depending on the day, they might want to add the jam, but most often, they stuck to butter only.

After breakfast, she would go to work and he would either browse her library (he was surprised by the vast amount she had collected in the short amount of time) or work on his book. He was pleased with how far along he was getting, especially since he was not bothered with Albus and the rest of the staff at all hours of the day.

Around noon, she would get off her shift and head to school, stopping along the way at a small deli on the corner just before the school came into view. He would either make himself a sandwich with some chips on the side or he would heat up some leftovers from the previous night. More often than not, it was the latter rather than the former he was favoring. He would then work on his book more or read more, depending on what he had done in the morning.

She usually came home around eight o'clock and he would come out and help her cook and ask her how her day was. She too would ask what he did that day, and they would enjoy each others' company until half-past ten, when they would part ways with a goodnight and get ready for bed. Both were happy with the schedule they had unconsciously planned out.

One day, however, she came home tired to the bone and freezing cold. He came out of the library after he heard the door open and close and saw the way she wobbled to the closet, her cheeks more flushed than usual. Striding to her, he turned her around and, as she protested weakly, felt her forehead. "Really, it's not necessary. I feel fine, I'm just tired." She tried to say, but he ignored her.

"Did you know that you were running a fever?" He questioned briskly. His tone suggested she'd better tell the truth, though she was too tired to really pick up on it.

"No, not really," she evaded.

"Hey," he warned, taking hold of her chin and pulling her face up so that she would look him in the eyes.

"I might have." She admitted, a sheepish look spreading over her face, twisting her mouth into a grimace. "I normally don't catch it until its too late; I was in class when I started to feel the effects and by then, I couldn't leave until class finished."

He mumbled something about irresponsibility before saying louder, "You are not going to be going to work tomorrow."

She did pick up on his tone this time and began to protest, "Hey, what do you mean I can't go to work tomorrow! I'm still scheduled for then and it is too late now to try to find a replacement."

"Tough," he said, taking it upon himself to finish dragging off her coat and hang it up on the hanger she always used. Closing the door, he pulled her along to the couch and set her down upon it. "Stay." He ordered.

As he began making her something warm to eat, he listened to her mutter to herself about how he suddenly became overpowering and domineering. In truth, he didn't all that mind her muttering, as long as she stayed where she was. He was a bit amused by it as well, though he quickly tossed the idea aside. It was time to help her, not laugh at her.

"Do you want me to tell you about my day, or are you going to say something about how it would tire me out too much?" She snidely asked.

"How was your day, then?" He asked her, amusement showing itself after a fight with his will power.

She huffed in annoyance, bringing the smile on his face out more, and said, "Well, work was fine. There was this really bitchy woman telling me how I was a horrible server because I didn't bring her the right amount of ice cubes in her cup at the beginning of the meal, or some such bull." He smirked slightly, but said nothing but a hum of acknowledgment. It seemed she lost her filter when she didn't feel good. It really was quite adorable. "Then some guy tried to hit on me," she continued, bringing a frown to his face. He didn't like where this was going. "I soon got him to ignore me though. Another coworker and I made a deal with each other; basically, I bring them sweets once a week and in return, they keep the perverts away from me. Really sweet guy, in all honesty. He and his boyfriend come over once a month too," She continued.

"Well, that is good then." He commented.

"I know; anyways, after work, I headed off to school. I had to skip the deli today since I didn't feel hungry then." He frowned again, but let her continue rather than lecture her. "School was interesting. In my biology class, we talked about the different ways our bodies protect against pathogens."

"Well, that sounds interesting," he said when she paused for him to comment.

"Mm-hm, it was." She said, nodding her head as she said it. "Then, in my history class, I learned about the effects of the Bubonic Plague over Europe."

"Were those the only two classes you had today then?" He asked her.

"Yep, only the two today. What about you? What did you do today?" She asked him in return.

"Well, today I read up on plant qualities and their lore throughout the ages, had some leftovers for lunch, and then wrote more of my book." He recounted for her.

"How much longer until I can read you book?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Not much longer now." He said cryptically. She just groaned and flopped down onto the couch cushions. He snickered quietly and brought out a glass of water and a few cold medicine pills.

"Dinner?" She asked.

"Not yet. It'll be done in about ten minutes." He nodded towards his hand holding the pills. "Have you taken any medication to help with your cold?" He questioned her.

"No, I didn't have any in my purse." He grunted and handed her the glass and pills when she sat up.

"Take these then," he suggested softly.

"Okay," she murmured and did as he said.

Once he made sure she was taking them, he headed off towards her rooms and snatched up her throw blanket hanging precariously over the edge of the chaise at the foot of her bed. Taking it back to her, he tucked it around her shoulders and headed off to the kitchen to get them a bowl of soup and a spoon.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she said to him when he came back with the bowls. He shrugged his shoulders like he was shrugging off her thanks and handed her the bowl.

"I'm sorry it isn't much. I still can't make a decent soup to save my life." He joked.

She snorted, "I would think you would have known, what with all the days of Hogwarts." She teased.

"Hey now," he defended, "Potions and soup are two totally different things. You don't need a potion to taste good for it to do its job. With soup, however, if you don't have a tasty soup, you aren't going to eat it. If you don't eat it, then it isn't doing its job of filling you up."

She laughed richly and consented, "Yes, okay. I see your point now."

He paused in eating as he listened to her laugh. It was beautiful, in his opinion. If he was fully truthful with himself, he would say that it was more beautiful than any other woman's laugh. He quickly continued eating before she caught him staring at her, especially since his mind was not listening to him and continued on this precarious train of thought.

She was a very pretty woman. He believed it was especially accented when she laughed and cooked. When she laughed, all the joy was brought forward into her eyes and expression; anyone looking at her would be spellbound by her happiness. When she cooked, she seemed to dance around like a leaf in the warm autumn winds. She would flick between the two counters and the stove, bringing with her a creation that was beyond delicious. The way she would tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, the way she would grin at a person in a knowing look that said she could see right through you- it was something that had pulled him to her.

Now, here he was, eating soup from a can with her sniffing away and enjoying it like it was made in heaven. How anyone couldn't help but fall in love with her was something he fully understood. He was just now finding how deeply in love with her he really was.

"Hey, I have a question." She said, breaking his chain of thought.

"Yes?" He beckoned.

"Well, if you are ordering me to stay home, then what am I going to do about work and school?"

"I'll take care of it. You just get some rest, okay?" He said waving away the question like it was a trivial matter. When she didn't look satisfied, he pleaded, "Trust me?"

She finally relented. "Okay, if you say so."

He flashed a grin and took her now empty bowl and stacked it on top of his. "Watch some TV or something while I take care of it and these dishes, okay?" She waved him off as she picked up the remote. He was fine with it, as long as she stayed awake long enough for her stomach to digest her food. He didn't want her to get an upset stomach the next morning just because she had gone to bed with a full stomach and a bug in her system.

Taking the dishes to the kitchen, he quickly washed them and let them dry on the rack next to the sink. Making sure his hands were free of water, he picked up the phone and dialed the number labeled 'Work'. After three rings, someone picked up. "Hello, thank you for calling Champs, how may I help you?" A woman's voice answered cheerfully.

"Hi, I am calling to let you know that Hermione Granger will not be in tomorrow since she has a bug and is running a fever at the moment." He explained to the woman.

"Oh, I knew she didn't look well, that little liar!" She said with exasperation, "Thank you for letting me know, sir. I'll see about getting someone to work her shift right away."

"I'm glad it isn't going to cause much trouble." He said to her.

"Oh, this would be her second sick day since she started working here, which was roughly two years ago! Everyone here knows that if she is calling in sick, she is really, really sick." She mentioned a tad bit humorously.

"Well, I'm not at all surprised. Thank you again." He said.

"Yep, no worries!" She finished the conversation with a goodbye and they both hung up. Next, he called her school and had an uncannily similar conversation with her counselor. Shaking his head in wonder, he headed back out to the living room. "Are you extremely stubborn, or are you just extremely lucky?" He asked her, making her start slightly as his voice brought her back from wherever she had been inside her mind.

"Both," she said with a smile on her face.

"Why am I not at all surprised by this knowledge?" He muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Oh, come now. It isn't really all that bad, is it?" She teased; her lips quirking as she tried to fight a smile forming across her lips. He only sighed and rolled his eyes in amazement. "I'm surprised you let me keep you here in the first place."

"Well, it was either let you take over now or later. I didn't feel like actually fighting you to get out tomorrow, so just gave up now." She chuckled, "I think it will take much less energy for me to do so, don't you think?"

He was still trying not to show just how willing he would have been to have tried to keep her here had she not given up now, so said nothing.

She didn't seem to mind, instead drew his attention to the TV screen. "Looks good, doesn't it?" He pulled his eyes away from her and looked at the screen, which had a woman making what looked like a batch of chili.

"No, not right now." He answered.

"Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one then." She said as she reached for the remote and turned off the TV with a quick press of a button.

"It's close to ten o'clock. Are you ready for bed yet?"

Just the mention of her nice, comfortable bed was enough to make her shoulders sag and her to groan in wistfulness. "Oh, god, yes." She nearly moaned.

He was so glad she didn't know exactly how she had just affected him with that one sentence. Instead, he helped her to her feet and led her to her room. Once at her door, he turned her to face him and said, "Now, if you need anything, just let me know." He continued as she started to interrupt him, "Really, after all the help you've given me, I think you deserve the same treatment."

She just sighed, proving without the words just how tired she really was, and went on into her rooms after saying goodnight.

He stayed up much later than he thought he was going to, sitting at the foot of his bed and thinking back and replaying her wording over and over again. Groaning, he put his head into his hands and dragged them down, trying to tear the images and sounds flooding his mind. "Really, it was just because of sleep. No need to think of it as anything more than that." Sighing again, he berated himself. "Get a grip; you are not a teenager anymore." With one last glance towards her rooms, he got ready for bed and went to sleep.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

The next morning was terrible for both of them. She felt absolutely retched, which was to be expected given that she had a nasty bug, but he felt as guilty as any man would at seeing the woman he loved uncomfortable and ill. He was often bringing in a glass of water for her to drink, a book to read out loud, and crackers to keep the nausea away.

By the end of the day, she wouldn't have been surprised if someone told her he had walked a mile alone just to give her some water or crackers. He, on the other hand, was worried about her even more so than the previous night. Her fever just broke that afternoon and she was constantly tired. He could only feel like his guilt was gone when he read to her; he figured if he had felt better when his mother had read to him when he was sick, then she would too.

He was right- she felt very comforted with him being close by, his voice not only painting pictures of far off lands but calmed her otherwise overworked mind. She didn't understand how he knew that her mind constantly worked and created such a buzz when she wasn't doing something, but was grateful all the same that he kept that annoying buzz away.

Just before he went off to get some dinner made for them- something light as neither of them were in a mood to eat- she called to him, "Thank you; you've been helping me out a lot."

"It's no worry. You just get your rest and I'll take care of you."As she was about to protest about how much she really appreciated his help, he said, "Really, you've helped me just as much." Giving her a pointed look that said he highly suggested dropping the subject, he left her to her thoughts.

She really had no idea what to say to that. Sure, she knew he wasn't the nicest of people, but now that she has spent time with him, she realized that most of his surliness was due to him hiding his humor with sarcasm, not due to actual meanness. She was beginning to see him as a man with many faces, not just the two or three that she knew extremely well.

As she thought back to the earlier days, when she had first known him, she started seeing the different ways he showed his other sides. One particular memory came into her mind; the day Neville first came into his potions lab and blew up a cauldron within the few minutes he had been in there. Sure, it wasn't his fault, rather the Slytherins' fault, but Neville had been blamed and he had tried to show Neville how dangerous potions could be. Granted, his way of showing Neville the dangers of potions might be called endangerment, but still. He was showing that he cared for Neville and didn't want to see him hurt.

Then again, should she have said this to her boys, or even Neville, who sees him in a different light anyways, she might be sent to St. Mungos for a checkup on her mental health. It could also have been because she was sick and he was taking care of her, but she didn't see it as such. He was a changed man, had been since the day he found out Lily Potter had died. And he continued proving himself worthy to those who feel his life means something.

She sighed softly in sadness, thinking back to the days she once believed him to be a horrible man and him allowing her to believe so for her own safety. Not for the billionth time did she wish Voldemort had never lived after that fateful Halloween twenty years ago. If he didn't, everyone would be happier, and he wouldn't have had to live the life he lived. Rather, she believed he would have actually enjoyed his days teaching and making potions.

Despite everything, he was part of the reason why she wanted to teach. Just the idea of him getting up every morning to face a new day, for the sole sake of making children understand that life is not filled with ponies and posies, but has its share of horrors and dangers, made her want to do the same. Guiding them on their rode to adulthood is one of the ways she believed could best help children to be the best they could be. A knock on her door frame brought her attention to the man who had been taking care of her since yesterday evening.

"Enjoy your trip?" He drawled lazily as he brought the tray with two bowls and a pile of crackers over.

"Yes, I did." She glanced over at the bowls and asked, "What's for dinner tonight?"

"I was hoping you would be able to handle a more solid food and brought you some leftovers from two nights ago. Think you can handle it? If not, I can always bring you a bowl of soup instead." He said.

Though he didn't show it on his face or in his voice, she could tell he was worried about her. "No, no- don't worry, I'll be able to handle it." She grinned up at him as he set the tray down on the bed side table, and cheekily added, "Did you make it yourself?"

He scoffed. "Please, like I could make something so terrible."

She rolled her eyes and reached for the bowl, careful not to burn her fingers. "Well, if you don't like it, you could always get takeout."

"No, I think I am man enough to stomach this, thank you all the same." He smirked at her before taking a bite.

She waited until he had the food in his mouth before saying, "You sure you're man enough?" She got the desired effect from him: he choked down his food and began coughing in earnest to clear his windpipe.

Finally, once he was able to breathe again, he asked waspishly, "What did you say?"

She just giggled at him and began eating her own food. "You're lucky you're sick or I would go over there and show you exactly how much of a man I am." He whispered in a mockingly deadly voice.

After swallowing her food- and her hormones- she inquired, "Did anyone tell you your voice alone is enough to prove how much of a man you are?"

He frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Your voice; it's deadly, you know." She said, then blushed brightly and shoveled more food into her mouth, trying to prevent herself from talking anymore.

"You like the sound of my voice?" He questioned, still confused, but also greatly pleased. Her blush deepened but she didn't say anything, just swallowed and took another large bite of her food. "No, you can't hide from this now. I want you to say it." He said, wanting a great deal more than he was letting on for her to say those words.

Finishing the mouth full of food she had, she said, "Fine, I like the sound of your voice. It is like rich dark chocolate and velvet mixed into one hell of a concoction!" She still had a blush raging across her cheeks, but he could see a spark in her eyes that said she was miffed as well as embarrassed.

He decided not to press his luck, instead leaning back and saying, "Well, thank you. I enjoy the sound of your voice as well." It was her turn to choke on her food, and she did so with gusto. As she gained her breath back, he added, "Though, I think your laugh is better." She glanced at him to see if he was kidding or not and saw he was completely serious.

That knowledge made her duck her head, suddenly shy. They continued to eat after their minor confessions, both happy that the other liked their voice, and both wondering what else the other liked. Neither was brave enough to ask the question out loud, however. Soon enough, they had finished dinner and he left to wash up the dishes. As soon as she believed him to be out of ear shot, she started beating herself up over her idiocy. "Really, you had to say that, didn't you?" She growled to herself. "Because it wasn't bad enough you are remembering your school-days' crush over the man, now you are doing it again." She dropped her head into her hands and groaned inwardly. "You are such an idiot; you even told him you were interested in him!"

He, on the other hand, was greatly elated with this new information. So elated, in fact that he had to use all his will power to not act out on his joy. "She likes my voice. That's the same as liking me, right?" He whispered quietly to himself. "I'm pretty sure it is. Maybe I should ask someone?" He quickly shook his head. "No, if I asked, they would figure it out quickly." He continued to talk to himself about what he should or shouldn't do until the dishes were finished and drying on the rack. He decided not to say anything unless she said something.

As he walked back to her rooms, he schooled his features to a calm mask. Knocking once again on the door jam, he entered the room and asked, "Are you willing to continue the story or would you like to go to bed early?"

"I have too much on my mind just now to be able to go to bed now. Maybe a chapter will help?" She said as a question rather than a statement.

"Sure. We left off with…" And so he began to continue to read to her. He was almost to the second chapter when he saw she was dropping off. Slipping the book mark into the desired spot, he gently closed the book and leaned over to shake her awake. "Hey, you need to get ready for bed. Wake up for a bit and then I promise you can go to bed, okay?" He whispered softly as she opened her eyes more and looked at him.

Nodding, she slipped out of bed and walked sleepily towards the bathroom. He watched her go, making sure she didn't do something stupid like bump into a wall. Once she was back, she crawled into her bed and pulled the blankets up. He made sure she was comfortable before turning off the light and closing the door with a soft snick. As he got ready for bed as well, he couldn't help but remember what she told him. He slept with a smile on his lips and elation dancing in his heart.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

It wasn't until three days had passed before he thought she was healthy enough to go back to work and school. She was so worried that she wouldn't be going back to them, that he took most of the day before to calm her down and force her to think rationally. He had no choice but to let her leave earlier that day though; she was having none of it. He had even resulted in drastic measures trying to keep her from leaving earlier than necessary.

And so their days continued as was usual. She would go to work, followed by a trip to the deli, and then off to school. He would read or work on his book for half the day, then eat a light lunch, followed by the opposite of what he did that morning. They were both happy to have their old schedules back, and just as happy the other was able to do what they wanted to do.

One day, in the second week of his stay at her house, Albus called him letting him know that if he chose to, he could go back to his rooms at Hogwarts. He wasn't sure if he was happy or upset about this new information and was just as unsure about whether or not he should reveal his uneasiness about this to her.

All too soon she was back with a cheery, "I'm home," called out into the house.

He tried to act like he usually did when she returned home, but he must not have been completely right about it since she saw threw him right away.

"What is it?" She asked, worried something horrible had happened.

"Albus said that my room is back to how it was before and that I could go back." He said, running a hand threw his hair.

"Oh," she said softly. "Well, that's good then, right?" She asked trying not to show him how upset she was at knowing he wouldn't be there any longer.

He was quiet for a few moments before admitting, "I'm not so sure."

"Oh," she said again, even more quietly than she had the first time. "Well, you do know that my home is open to you anytime, right? If ever you wanted to come over, I would be happy to have you stay." She said, trying to show her supportiveness without showing what she was truly feeling.

"The same goes for you- if you would like to come back to Hogwarts for a few days, you are more than welcome to come and stay over. I would be happy to have company over." An awkward silence overcame them as they tried to figure out what to do or say now.

Finally, she broke it with, "Would you like some dinner then, before you go?"

He smiled, thankfully, and said, "Sure, I would love to have some dinner." Their happiness didn't last all that long and soon dinner was over and he was all packed up.

As she walked him to the door, delaying their parting, she said, "It was lovely having you over. Remember, you can come over any time. Really, even if I'm not here, you can still come over. I'll send you a key or something, if you would like." She rubbed her neck to try to stop herself from babbling and clenched her jaws together.

Smiling softly at her, he dropped his bag and slowly enveloped her into a hug. "Thank you for everything, Hermione. I am glad I was able to spend time here and with you." Pulling back he added, "I'm looking forward to that key, so make sure you send it right away."

Bending down to pick up his bag again, he nodded once and left, shutting the door gently behind him. Hermione sighed out, suddenly extremely tired and apathetic. She decided to head off to bed as soon as she could and did just that. He was experiencing the same general effects she was.

Apparating to the Hogwarts gates, he slowly headed up the long stretch of road that leads towards the Great Hall's doors. There, he saw most of his colleagues enjoying their after dinner affairs, including small talk and light laughter. "Ah, Severus! How are you, m'boy?" Albus asked, breaking off his conversation with Minerva. "I'm fine, Albus. I'm just tired from having to Apparate all the way here." He said, waving off the other inquires called his way, instead favoring walking to his rooms and going to bed early.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

It was three weeks later, and both were surly and tired all the time. Neither one had the energy to do much. Hermione was very upset with the key manufactures as they had to delay her order being made until they could find out an issue in the machines. Every evening she would return home with a cheery, "I'm home," only to realize that no one was there to answer back with a, "Welcome back."

The overall effect of it made her upset and shortened her temper to a few inches before exploding. Her coworkers soon realized not to get onto her bad side, instead tip-toeing around her most of the time she was on shift. At her school, her professors noticed she wasn't nearly as animated as she usually was. They too favored ignoring her rather than trying to figure out her mind. Hermione realized that it wasn't their faults that she was so short tempered, but it seemed as if they were trying to annoy and irritate her. When her boys came over for their monthly get together, she tried to hide her feelings of being upset from them to no avail. Harry, being more observant of the two, drew her aside and questioned her relentlessly about why she wasn't her usual self. She tried to put it off as being an after effect of her bug, but he didn't believe it.

Severus was just as irritable as she was, though he had the added annoyance of nit-picking, so-called friends to bother him at all hours of the day and not care if he was annoyed. Albus was just as cheery- if not more so- as was his usual and often talked to Severus at random times of the day for hours on end. Severus was constantly looking over his shoulder and around corners for a sign of the aged wizard. He often wished he had that invisibility cloak Harry had used often throughout his school days. At least then he would be safe from Albus prying into his life and testing his patience all the while.

Harry, too, had visited him. He wanted to know how he was and what he had been up to, all the while watching him with eyes that seemed to see too much. Severus was unsure of how to react, especially since he didn't know the true reason as to why he was there. It didn't take long for Harry to figure him out, however, and soon he was pestering him on when he had been visiting Hermione and how long he had stayed. He tried to keep the questioned at bay, but damn him for teaching the boy to read between the lines because it didn't take Harry long to congratulate him. Severus was only too glad when Harry left him in peace.

Hermione got an unexpected visit about a week or so later. She had just got home from her day at school, once again saying the words, "I'm home," though she didn't think there was going to be an answer. However, she got one, from Harry, who came walking out of the kitchen with a bit of flour on his nose and covering his hands. "Harry?" She asked, confused as to why he was here, much less covered in flour.

"Hi," he started. "Just wanted to see how you were doing and all that." He continued.

"Bull. Why are you really here?" She asked, dropping her bag with a snort and entered the kitchen to categorize the chaos he seemed to bring with him anytime he entered that vicinity. Taking a quick look around, she noted the copious amounts of flour strewn over the countertops and sink.

"I just said I wanted to check up on you." He said innocently, blinking in that owl-like way of his behind his large glasses balancing on the bridge of his nose.

"And I just said that I didn't believe you." She sighed out as she snatched up a rag and wet it to begin wiping down the counters. "I want the truth, and I won't settle for less. You know as much, so let's just cut the bull and give me what I want to know." She said reasonably.

He sighed deeply and dropped down with a huff. "Sometimes, I hate your mind, you know that?" Sighing again, he muttered, "I wanted to see why you had Severus come over a few weeks ago." She paused in cleaning and glanced at him, waiting for him to continue since it seemed he wasn't finished. "I also want to know why you both are as cranky as grizzlies since you parted." He finished, still not looking at her.

"I let him come over since Albus had kicked him out of Hogwarts and you were busy. Before you say it, he was not going to try staying over at Ron's. You know as well as I do that he would rather sleep out in the snow than sleep there." They both shared a laugh at that before she continued, "As for why I am cranky, it's because I can't see him anymore. Since parting, I come home with a smile on my face, waiting for him to welcome me home. I had become used to seeing him and talking to him."

He finally looked at her, seeing her for how she is now. Her eyes had dark circles under them, showing her lack of sleep; her hair seemed duller as well. He was unsure as to when she came to be like this, but he knew perfectly well how she became this tired and irritable bear of a woman. "Hermione, have you ever thought about visiting him?"

She purposely didn't look him in the eye as she started cleaning again. After a few moments, however, she heard him get off his chair and step up behind her, holding her arms still and keeping her attention on him.

"Hermione, I know you don't think so, but he misses you just as much as you miss him. Visit him- I guarantee he will welcome you."

"But what if he is angry at me for not sending the key quickly enough?" She whispered a bare breath away from having tears stream down her eyes.

"Trust me," he bent down to look her eye to eye. "Have I ever told you wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't think you have."

He snorted. "Really, that's the best you could do?" He asked, smirking slightly at her in amusement.

"It was the best you deserve after messing up my kitchen," she retorted, blinking a few times to erase the tears threatening to fall free.

"Go, wash your face and get together an overnight bag." Tapping her gently on the shoulder, he continued, "I'll even clean up once I've finished. I wanted to make cookies, you know."

"Yeah, okay." She relented, smiling wider at him. "Good luck, Harry." She snorted again at her joke and left him to take care of what he needed to in her kitchen. She just hoped he wouldn't cause a fire like he did the last time she trusted him in her paradise.

Not twenty minutes, she was briskly walking up towards the Great Hall entrance. She figured it was the easiest path down to the dungeons where she knew Severus was still staying. She wasn't bothered by anyone on the way down, something she was very pleased about. It wasn't much longer, given her pace and a lack of interruptions that she was standing in front of his rooms' entrance.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the frame twice, making sure they were loud enough to be heard. Less than a minute later, the door opened and Severus was standing in front of her. Before he could say anything, she blurted out, "I didn't mean for the key to be so late. The key makers had a delay in manufacturing."

He blinked, a bit side tracked with the suddenness of that admission, as well as the thought of her in front of him. It was all he could do not to drag her into a hug and keep her locked in his arms for an hour.

His silence made her on edge, however, and she quickly blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry; you must be upset seeing me here. I'll just go, then." She said, backing up and about to turn around and head straight back home and yell at Harry for how wrong he was.

"No!" He nearly shouted, instead, shocking her. "Don't go. I was just shocked at seeing you, is all." She didn't turn to look at him, just stared ahead like she wasn't really hearing him. He liked that she didn't leave him fully though. "Please, stay and talk with me. I've missed being able to talk to someone of a higher intelligence."

Twisting on her heals, she saw him standing just outside of his room, holding out his hand to her in offer. Taking it, she allowed him to draw her into his room, listening to him shut the door behind him. He led her to the chair next to the fire, seating her and asking, "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"What do you have?" She asked, mimicking their conversation the first day she let him stay over.

"I have soda, tea, wine, and beer." He said, doing the same with the added smirk at their shared joke.

"I'll have a beer, thanks." She murmured with a slight chuckle. They shared a laugh as he gathered two beers from his personal stores.

"Can't have the kids steal my stock, can I?" He asked as way of explaining to her.

She just chuckled again and opened the bottle, taking a small swig. "So, how have you been lately?" He asked, curious to see how she was fairing.

She looked at him for a moment, wondering if she should tell him the truth, before deciding to take Harry's advice. "It was hell, to tell the truth."

He choked slightly on his drink after those words sunk into his mind and, after making sure she was not kidding, asked for clarification.

"I said," she said again, taking a deep breath, "that it was hell. Pure hell." Looking him in the eyes, she whispered, "I hated coming home every single day with no one to come and say hello. For someone to ask me how my day was, and for me to do the same. I missed you."

"Hermione," he murmured, "Come here."

She moved as quickly as she could into his arms, pressing her face into his chest as she clutched him close to her. She was ecstatic to feel him pull her even closer towards him as well, tucking her up into his arms and making sure her legs were up on his chair. They stayed like that for longer than needed but just as wanted. The only thing interrupting them was the pop of the firewood and their soft whispers to each other. Around midnight, they finally parted and said their goodnights, before getting ready for bed and falling asleep with the most peaceful of feelings filling both their hearts and minds.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

The next morning was a slightly awkward one as Severus and Hermione walked to the Great Hall for their morning meal. Students stared in shock and horror, wondering on what part of the universe they had stumbled upon that caused them to see an alternate reality. There was really no other explanation as to why they would see their Professor Snape and the Gryffindor Golden Girl walking together and talking peacefully!

The other professors were just as shocked, except maybe Albus, at the sight before them as the two entered the Great Hall through the teachers' entrance and sat down next to each other. What was more amazing was that neither seemed to really mind the attention they were drawing towards themselves. Rather, they were in their own little world, that they had no need to take notice- they were too enclosed in their creations and happiness.

If anyone tried asking Albus what was going on, he would just shake his head and look at you with a maddening twinkle in his pale blue eyes. It especially irritated Minerva, who believed she had a right to know given that she was all but a second mother to Hermione.

It was nearing the end of the morning meal when the two finally exited their paradise and took the stares into account. Instantly, Hermione blushed a deep shade of red and Severus drew up a sever face, one that said if anyone asked them anything, there would be death. He took most of the time to glare at each of his colleagues, especially Albus, making it clear that if they too said anything, he would see to it himself that no one hears of it again.

Then, as he made sure his warnings were clear and ignoring Albus' mad twinkle, Severus held out a hand to Hermione and led her back to his room. He figured it was time to switch rolls; he would go to work and she would read all day. She didn't seem to mind that one bit- she called into her work and school, saying that something had come up and that she wouldn't make it in time- she browsed his library for what seemed like two hours before finally picking up a book and curling up in his chair by the fire.

She stayed there until he returned from the morning classes and together, they walked to the Great Hall for lunch and told each other about how their day was so far. Or, better yet, he told her about his day as of now, and she listened intently and gave him her input as needed. The shock of seeing them together and talking to each other seemed to die down slightly by lunch, though students and professors alike were still amazed at this turn of events.

After lunch, Severus still gave everyone a warning glance and Hermione still blushed a deep red, though neither were as impacting as the first time. He soon had to leave her to begin his evening classes, and she gave a cheery farewell as well as a bit of advice as to how to treat a child better if they made a mistake. He didn't think he would ever use something like that- he didn't want to coddle them, after all- but still took her words to heart as they had come from her.

She continued reading his book and sitting by the fire, enjoying the calmness of the day and wishing it was like that always. She knew that that wish was not going to come true, as she herself would bring an end to it within the first few days. Hermione Granger was not a lazy person, and though she would be reading for hours on end every day, eventually she would want to do something that would benefit the rest of society. After all, she had another dream of becoming the Transfiguration Professor. If she truly wanted to get that job, she would need to finish all that is needed of her and take it full force. For now, though, she would enjoy this bout of laziness and the happiness it was bringing her. She sighed deeply, a smile lighting her face as she thought of their past and their potential was hoping he felt the same way she did about him, and was thinking of making it official sometime in the near future.

He was thinking the same thing as he spelled the chalk to write out the classes' assignment on the board. He wanted to come back to his rooms and see Hermione, curled up in his chair and reading his book in his room. Just the thought of being able to see it every time he got back from teaching gave him a lift of joy and an elated feeling in his soul. The students noticed he wasn't as nitpicky of their work, and the first student who gained an actually compliment had to be sent to Madam Pomfrey, the shock too much for him.

Despite all things, they were beginning to realize that their Professor Snape was not trying to test out a new torture technique but rather was enjoying his life so much that he didn't even feel it was necessary to get onto the students' cases. Whatever she had done to him, they thought, she had better continue doing it. For their sake and his!

Albus all but danced with glee every time he saw either of them. He was often seen muttering about plans he was thinking about putting into place, usually consisting of trying to get one of them to admit their feelings for the other. Minerva would have put a stop to it had she not believed in his cause in the first place. I was not surprising that she came up with the better plan between the two. They were quite excited to see how the day would play out.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

That day turned out to be a sunny one for everyone involved, minus one very angry Severus Snape. The students had been riled up that morning when Albus informed everyone that classes would be canceled a touch earlier than usual to allow the students to enjoy one of the warmest days of spring they had yet to witness that year. Severus knew instantly that this was going to be an awful day; just awful!

As he said his goodbyes to Hermione after the meal, he trudged listlessly- though no one but her would have noticed- towards his classroom to begin the day. She knew that he wasn't going to enjoy today, especially given that excited children turned into messy children. She wouldn't be all that surprised if she was informed that a multitude of cauldrons blew up today.

She would be right, of course. Within the first few hours, Severus had sent three children to the Hospital Wing, and banished five potentially dangerous cauldrons. Two had blown up, hence the children being sent to Madam Pomfrey, and he was sure that was not even the last of it. The students were not only on edge with the idea of freedom not a few hours away, but also on edge because of a cranky Slytherin Head-of-House. No one truly wanted to get on his bad side, though they did so anyhow.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the students and teachers alike that the day was over, the students all but ran out of there like they were being chased by demons. It wouldn't be that far off of the truth, some would say, given that Professor Snape was a cranky as one by the end of the school day. Hermione made sure she was in his room once the bell rang. She remembered that he would stop there first, most likely to escape the plethora of wild children screaming with exhilaration and joy. Just before he came in, she got out a bottle of his finest scotch and a tumbler from the cupboards and sat down on his chair.

When he did come in, he bee-lined his way over to her and plopped down next to her with a great and powerful sigh.

"Lie down," she said quietly, "Here, on my lap."

He did so; though slightly confused, he didn't have the energy to argue with her at the moment. He was glad he did, though, as she started to massage the stress away from his temples and forehead. "Whenever I have a stress headache, they always form in this area. Am I right?" She whispered, continuing the heavenly push and pull along his skull.

He just moaned quietly in bliss. She laughed lightly in response, but continued to help him relieve his stress. As they sat quietly, both began thinking of their life as of now, including how they couldn't quite believe they were deserving of such luck as to gain the other in their life.

"Severus," she began, whispering his name like a plea and a reverence. "I want to know if we will continue doing this in the future. I will admit that I cannot see life without you in it any longer."

He was silent for a few moments, shocked at his even greater luck heaping itself upon him. He realized that he was probably silent a touch too long when she shifted in her seat from worry.

Sitting up from her lap to look her dead in the eye, he admitted, "Hermione, I too would be lost without you. I want you in my life for as long as can be, and even that wouldn't be enough." Brushing his hand along her cheek bone, he said even more quietly, "I love you."

Tears sprung to her eyes at his words and she flung her arms and clutched tightly onto his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. He forced her all that much closer when his arms wrapped around her and held her still as he used her as an anchor. She didn't mind at all- she was given the chance to find her love.

Their future ahead of them was brighter than they once had seen it and they looked forward to it; the happiness of finding a new place to live, the annoyance at not finding the right color for their bedroom walls (he wanted green, but she was dead set on gold), and even the inspiring realization that they would never tire of one another. To them, there was no greater joy in life.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

**A/N: So, how did you enjoy it everyone? If you would like this to be a two-shot instead of a one-shot, please let me know in the pole on my profile. To continue, if you would like a two-shot and have an idea as to how the second chapter should go on, please message me with any and all details you deem might be needed. I will take all into account and let you know soon as to the decisions I've made. **

**Oh, and if someone could help me: I need a cover for this! Let me know if you would like to make a cover for me and I'll make sure you are dedicated as well as receive a free batch of your favorite food~! Lastly, if you think the rating should be higher or lower than it currently is, let me know and I'll change it as soon as I know!**


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